Noticeboard

Car Parking Fines:The privately owned dental surgery upstairs have installed cameras on their side of the car park. This is clearly marked as "Dental patients’ car park” above their entrance. To avoid a fine please park on the right side or consider using other local parking facilities.

If you park in the dentist car park

they will send you a fine of £100

This is being monitored by an external company who initiate the fines, on behalf of the dentists.

Hearing Loop

The surgery has a portable hearing loop for patients hard of hearing with a hearing aid to use. If you would like to use this when you attend the surgery, either in reception or while seeing the Doctor or nurse, please let reception know. You will need to switch your hearing aid to the ‘T’ position.

We are delighted to be able to offer online appointment bookings. In addition patients will be able to request their repeat prescriptions electronically. To register you will need to come into the Surgery with photo identification (driver's licence or passport) and we will arrange for your access to be provided for these services.

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Loan of Blood Pressure Machines

Please could all patients ensure that if one of our blood pressure machines is loaned to you for monitoring your blood pressure at home, that it is returned promptly after 1 week and in the condition it was loaned. There is a waiting list for these machines.

Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.

To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.

When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.

Comments & Complaints about the Practice

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the Practice Manager Allison Lipman who will deal with your concerns appropriately.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

Practice Charter

These are the local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. It is ourjob to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interests of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.We are committed to giving you the best service we can. This is possible if we work together. Please help us to help you.

What we will do for you

Treat you with courtesy and respect at all times

Treat you as a partner and discuss with you the care and treatment we can provide

Give you full information on the services we offer

Give you the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff

Provide you with emergency care when you need it

Refer you for a second opinion when you and your GP agree it is necessary

Give you access to your health records subject to any limitations in the law

Keep the contents of your health records confidential

Give you a full and prompt reply to any complaints you make about our service

What you can do for us

Treat us with respect and courtesy at all times

Tell us if you are unsure about the treatment we are offering you use the emergency service only in a genuine emergency

Ask for a night visit only when necessary

Ask us for a home visit only when the patient is unable to attend the surgery through illness or infirmity

Keep your appointments and let us know as early as possible if you are unable to comeLet us know when you change your name, address or telephone number

Tell us about any complaints or misunderstandings as soon as possible to allow us todeal with them

Let us know when we have done well

Offer constructive suggestions about how our service could be improved.

Did Not Attend Policy

Introduction

Approximately 300 to 400 appointments per month are ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA), i.e. the patient does not turn up for the appointment and does not contact the surgery in advance to cancel/change appointment. The affect of these are:

· An increase in the waiting time for appointments

· Frustration for both staff and patients

· A waste of resources

· A potential risk to the health of the patient

GENERAL Policy

If a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment on more than one occasion in a 12 month period, an informal warning letter along with the practice policy will be sent to the patient. If the patient fails to attend a second appointment in the same 12 months, a second letter will be sent, advising them that a further occurrence could risk removal from the practice.

If the patient fails to attend a third appointment, the matter will be discussed with one of the partners as to whether the patient will be removed from the practice list. In which case a formal warning letter will be issued.

Warning letters are valid for a period of 12 months. Removal based on warnings greater than 12 months old will be invalid – in this case a further formal warning and period of grace will be required.

SCREENING APPOINTMENTS

Where a patient with a chronic condition or is otherwise deemed to be “at risk” fails to attend a screening or a recall appointment there may be an implied duty on the practice to follow-up the reason for non-attendance to ensure that the patient’s health is not at risk.

The responsible clinician (usually the doctor or the nurse holding the clinic) will be responsible for initiating action to contact the patient by telephone to determine the reason for the failure to attend, and where possible re-arrange the appointment.

Where a new appointment is arranged, this is to be followed up with a letter of confirmation, and, the day prior to the new appointment date, a further telephone call to the patient is to be made to check that they will attend.

The clinician will have overall responsibility for the individual patient follow-up and attendance, although the administration aspects may be delegated.

The DNA must be coded onto the clinical system at each non-attendance.

The Assistant Reception Manager will be responsible for the issue of a weekly DNA clinical system report by clinician.

Statement of Purpose

We aim to provide safe, effective, accessible NHS Primary Care for people living in (or visiting) our practice area who choose to register with us, both at the surgery and, where medically needed, at home.

We aim for an excellent standard of clinical care for a range of core and extended medical services within our NHS contract, and referral to secondary care for investigation and further management as appropriate.

We operate a book-on-the-day system to provide same day appointments for the acutely ill, and daily we have a doctor visiting the sick elderly housebound.

We offer extended hours access and participate in care for local residential homes and a step-down rehabilitation unit.

We work closely with other community services such as the district and palliative care nurses and health visitors. We work alongside our mental health, alcohol and drugs, social services and voluntary colleagues, signposting our patients to the support and care they need.

Learning and teaching is fundamental to provision of excellent care and all staff participate in regular mandatory training and clinical meetings. Many non-clinical staff engage in personal development with NVQs. We teach undergraduate medical students and GP trainees to help ensure the future of General Practice care.

We offer a wide range of extra medical services including minor surgery, a range of family planning procedures, and travel immunisations.

Health promotion is a priority. We provide screening for cervical cytology, immunisations, well-person screening for obesity, smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. We run weekly dedicated clinics to optimise management of diabetes and COPD where patients are encouraged to understand and manage their own condition.

Non-NHS services include provision of certificates and reports, and medical examinations for employment, insurance, driving and fostering.